Rotary water-meter



(No Model.) -3 Sheets-Sheet 1. R. GREUZBAUR.

ROTARY WATER METER.

No. 350,619. Patented Oct. 12, 1886.

Pushing Bhy his ttm'neys,

N. Firma Phmn-Lnhogupher. wminm. l)4 t;

No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. RCRHIIZBAUR.

ROTARY WATER METER.

Pa nted Oct. 12, 1886.

INVENTOR;v

R. GRBUZBAUR.

ROTARY WATEE METER.

No. 350,619. Patented Oct. l2, 1886.

Fig. '7.

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- wheels motions transversely to its spindle.

" wings are closest together, thus giving the Unire STATES- ROBERT OREUZBAUR, OF

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ROTARY WATER-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,619, dated October 12, 1886.

Application tiled September 7, 1885. Serial No. 176,361. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, Bonner CREUZBAUR, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the Y city of- Brooklyn, county of Kings. and State' of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Water Meters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of rotary meters in which a drum or wheel is rotated by the impact of the water upon it, and embraces the following characteristics:

First. The incoming water, by being made to raise a valve on its way to the rotating wheel, is caused to support the wheel and its spindle, whichare attached to such valve and move in unison with it. A supporting pivot or socket is thus avoided, the wheel-spindle being guided laterally so as to control the Second. The incoming water, having at all times the weight of the valve and of the wheel and its spindle upon it, enters the ports under constant pressure and velocity, whether at minimum, maximum, or intermediate flow. and is thus enabled to register a very small stream, aided by theA other conditions named.

Third. The correct registry of the water during all stages of its flow from the minimum to the maximum is attained by giving to the ports the necessary direction to attain that end, to wit: If the meter overregister with a small stream, the parts of the ports which correspond to such stream-that is, the lower parts thereofare given a less pitch, which reduces its circumferential velocity and impact, both being thus wasted in a radial direction. To remedy oveiregistration' at a maximum flow, the reverse measures are taken-that is, the upper parts of the ports are given a less pitch, which diminishes the effective velocity and impact, and the lower parts are given an increased pitch, which increases the effective velocity and impact.

i Fourth. Correctregistry is also aided and obtained bymeans of current-obstructing wings, so arranged that with an excess of registry such maximum resistance to the wheels rotation, and with an under-regstry they are farthest apart, an arrapgementwhich becomes practicable through the falling and rising of the rotating wheel, according to thequantity of water passing under and elevating the valve with the wheel.

Fifth. The rotating wheel in lieu of buckets or wings is provided with corrugations upon its inner side, upon which the impact of the water issuing from the ports is directed. This is a convenient and effective method for providing suitable abutments for the water toimpinge upon, and to provide the greatest number of them, so that a bucket is at all times in effective reach of the port-s.

Sixth. To avoid a stuffing-box between the wheel and registering mechanism, the register-casing is made ,entirelyofglass, admitting the light freely to the inside, and dialmarks are sunk into the glass on the inside and filled with a colored substance, clearly visible from the outside. To obviate the masking ofthe dialpointers by sediment lodging upon the glass, a small prominently colored knob slightly pressed against the glass takes the place of the usual pointer.

Seventh. A well-hole is provided in which oating matter can collect, and which is separated from the ports and wheel-chamberby a strainer. This well-hole is arranged to be quickly laid open and emptied of its contents by the removal of only one bolt andnut,.which secure two opposite end caps.

I obtain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aV vertical central section of the meter through the inlet and outlet nozzles. Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section cut in the plane of the lines 2 2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the lower part of the meter cut at right angles to Fig. 1 on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the base-piece, and Fig. 5 is a vertical stretch-out7 section thereof cut on the line 5 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. Q is a fragmentary side elevation,looking in the saine direction as Fig. 1, and showing one of the clamping-bolts Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the valve-chamber, showing the exterior of one of the ports.

fragmentary vertical mid-section of this chamber, showing the inner side of the same port, and Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are transverse sections through this port in the planes denoted, respectively, by the lines 9 9, 10 10, and 11' 11, in Fig. 8.

D Dis the base-piece embodying the inlet- Fig. 8 is a f roo l nozzle d', delivering the water intomud-well @from whence it rises through strainer E into the cylindrical valve-chamber A. This chamber has two or more ports, I l,formed through its side wall, through which ports the Water passes into the outer chamber, B. A valve, F, is arranged in the chamber A, being capable of rising and falling therein and thereby un`- covering more or less ot' the ports I I. The valve is attached to a rotary spindle, G, to which is fixed the rotary measuring-wheel H. rThis wheel extends down around the chamber A, and has buckets or vanes H in such posi tion as to receive the impact of the water issuing Yfrom the ports I I. Vhen the water is lowing,it lifts the valve F, and with it also the spindle G and wheel H. The valve F, with its at-tachments, will rise to a height corresponding to the amountof water drawn through the meter and corresponding to the pressure and velocity given the water through the ports I I by the overweight ofthe valve and its attachments. The impact of' the water thus received through the weight of the valve F acts in a tangential direction given it by the ports -I upon the buckets H of the. wheel H, causing the latter to revolve,the number of revolutions heilig recorded by the registerin the usual way. After the impact ot' the water has thus been spent upon the wheel H, the water escapes` downward through openings L, Figs. 2, 3, and 5, into circular channel M, Figs. l, 2, 4, and 5, and exhausts through nozzle m.

The wheel H consists of a sleeve or drum closed on the top by a head, h2, which may or may not be perforated. This head or cap is shouldered upon spindle G and conned tothe latter by nut h3. The buckets H may be of various shapes and varying in number. I pre fer to use eorrugations, as shown, which mul tiply the number of abutments and thereby insure a better actionv ofthe wheel. The whole wheel may be made ot' hard rubber, or thc drum and buckets may be made of thin sheet-brass, and the cap h2 and valve F of hard rubber, the material used depending somewhat upon the weight desired to act upon the water through valve F. Spindle G is guided below in a hub `formed upon the strainer E, or when no strainer is used, by an eye, to be provided for it in the well d2. At the top the spindle is guided in sleeve g', attached to countenplate N. rIhe spindle, being with all its attachments supported by the water pressing up the valve F, has no end support.

The wheel H and its buckets H are given ample clearance to prevent their clogging by obstructions passing the strainer.

' The constant weight of valve, wheel, and spindle bearing upon the water gi ves to the latter an approximately constant velocity and impact, but the varying quantity so acting upon the wheel produces a varying velocity ot' the wheel. As an eii'ective means for regulat ing the velocity ot' thewheel, so as to conl'orm accurately to the amount of water passed through the meter, the ports are given an increasing pitch i'rom the bottom upward, or vice versa-that is, it' the meter overrcgisters with a minimum stream, the corresponding or lower parts of the ports are given a direction more nearly adiah which reduces its circumferential impact and velocity, the upper poi" tion ofthe ports being given a maximum tangential direction, which utilizes the utmost attainable amount of velocity and impact. The ports thus formed are shown at thelel't in Fig. 2, the maximum pitch being shown in 'full lines and the minimum pitch in dotted lines; or, if the meter under-registers at a minimum flow, as is more apt to be the case, the ports are given a decreasing pitch from the bottom upward. The usual and preferred form of the ports l`or correnti ng this tendI ency, according to myinvention, is illustrated in Figs. 7 to Il. At the bottom the port is of the maximum pitch, being in fact angenlial, as shown in Fig. 9, so that when only this portion ofthe port is uncovered the small stream issuing therethrough is given the most eit'ective direction of impact against the rotating wheel. As the port ascends, its pitch dccreascs. Fic'. 'l0 is a section halfway up. At the top ot' the port its pit-rh is very slight, as is shown by Fig. Il, so that the increased quantity of water issuing through it is directed against the wheel more nearly iu a radial direction, and much ot' its eiiect for the rotation of the wheel is lost. Iiurthermore, I make the ports ofsuch form as will cause the valve F to rise more rapidly with an increase in.

a small iiow than it does with aproportionate increase in a larger flow. This is in order to lift thevalve rapidly when thetlow commences, in order that the lifting movement ot' the valve will limber-up 7 the registering mechanism, as will be presentlyexplained. This variation in the lift ol' the valve is caused by coutracting or narrowing the ports toward the bottom. Either the outside or outlet ends ot' the ports may be thus shaped, as shown iin Fig. A7, or t-he inner ends thereof may be similarly narrowed or contracted toward the bottom, as shown in Fig. 8. I prel'er to thus contract the lower portions of the ports at both the inner and outer ends, as shown. The meter may be regulated without using such varying pitch of the ports, or such regulation IOO IIO

IIS

may be assisted by means of current-resisting wings. l It' the meter overrcgister with a maximum stream, the' wings It, on the top or' wheel-cap It?, are used, and wings a', under counter-plate N, Fig. I, are used. rlhe wheel H beingraised up in proportion tothe amount of water passed through, these wings would be closest together and would most obstruct the velocity of the wheel at maximum flow, and vice versa with a minimum iiow. On the other hand, if the wheel ov'erregister with a minimum iiow, wings i are formed on the top of casing I', and *ings It? under the cap as shown on the left, Fig. l, such wings being closest together and resisting'the rotation ot the Wheel H most with a minimum stream ISO and least with a maximum stream. Either or both these means-that is, varying pitch of ports and current-'resisting wings-may be used to regulate the registry of the meter.

As it is of the utmost importance in such a rotary meter to have a minimum of friction, so as to measure small streams, a water-tight stuffingbox is to be avoided between the registering-dial andthe wheel-chamber. The attempts in this direction have beenfrustrated by the accumulation of sediment under the glass, obscur-ing the pointers and dial-marks. To obviate this difficulty I sink the dialmarks into the underside ofthe glass, lilling lthe indentations with a cement of prominent color, as at P P, Fig. l, and cause the pointer ends Q Q slightly to bear against the smooth y glass radially inside or outside 4of the marks,

thus wiping away the tilnradhering to the glass. l use two pointers Q Q, so as to have an even bearing of the wheel R, to which they are attached. rl`hese pointers are of different color or shape, so as to distinguish the true pointer from the balancing false pointer. Theyare preferably made of thin German silver spring-plate riveted to wheel R. The elevating of the wheel, valve, and spindle G, also has the effect of limbering the registering- Wheels. which is'doubly important after the wheel has not been used for some time, -this liinbcring and starting of the counters beingl thus accomplished by the water pressure alone iu the act of opening the valve. 'lhe vertical play of the wheel, valve, and spindle has the further effect of loosening and working out obstructions which mayhave lodged about these parts.

'lhe two openings X X into the mudwell d2 are arched over to separate them from exhaust-channel M, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. rlhese openings are closed by caps x a2', which are drawn to each other by bolt Z and capped nut Z'.

rl`he base-piece D, middle piece, W, and cappiece or registercase lt', are held together by bolts and nuts Y, the bolts having eyes on their lower ends and being pivoted between lugs l Z on the bottom piece, I), so as to swing outwardly on the top in the usual way. The upper end ot' each bolt as it is turned up enters an open notch, y, in the tiange or ear on 4the top piece, Rf, as shown in Fig. 6. When the top piece, R', is all glass, as shown, a special metal tlange, r2, with intervening rubber gas- 554l et yr, is provided to receive und distribute the strain brought upon such liunge bythe said bolts and nuts.

The valve F need not rev'A lve with the spin# dle G and wheel H, but I prefer to cause this valve to revolve with the Wheel and spindle, as tending to reduce its leakage and to loosen obstructions.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a water-meter, the combination of a cylindrical valve chamber having ports in its cylindrical Wall, a Weighted valve arranged in said chamber to be lifted by the water on its latter as it lifts, and a rotating measuringwheel pivoted on an aXis concentric with the axis of said valve-chamber and arranged with its vanes outside of said chamber in position to receive theim pact of the water issuing from said ports, substantially as set forth.

2. In a water-meter, the combination of a valve-chamber having ports through its Walls, a valve in said chamber arranged to be lifted by the water-oli its Way to said ports and lto uncover the latter as it lifts, .and a rotating measuring-Wheel receiving the impact of the water issuing from said ports and connected to said valye and rising and falling therewith,A substantially as set forth.

8. In a water-meter, the combination of a cy-y lindrical valve-chamber with tangential ports, a rotary valvein said chamber arranged to be lifted by the water on its way to said ports and to uncover the latter as it lifts, and a rotating measuring-wheel receiving the impact of the water issuing from said ports and connected rigidly to said valve, whereby the valve is caused to rotate with the wheel and the Wheel is caused to rise and fall with the valve, substantially as set forth. f

4. The combination of a cylindrical valvechamber hav-ing outlet ports through its lateral wall, a weighted valve arranged in said chamber to be lifted by the water on its way to said'ports and acting to uncover the latter as it lifts, and a rotating measuring-wheel arranged to recelve the impact of the water issuing from said ports, lthe said ports being conformed with a varying pitch, as described, the portion rst uncovered being of greater' inclination than the portion thereoflast uncovered by said valve.v

5. rl`he combination of a cylindrical valvechamber having outlet-ports through its lateral wall, a weighted valve arranged in said chamber to be lifted by the water on its Way to said ports and acting to uncover the latter as it lifts, and a rotating measuring-wheel arranged to receive the impact of the Water issuing from said ports, the said ports being constructed with varying widths on their inner ends, the portions first uncovered being narrower than the portions last uncovered, substantially as described, whereby the valve is lifted proportionally higher at the commencement of the iow than with a subsequent increase in the flow.

6. The combination of a cylindrical valvechamber having outletporls through its lateral wall, a weighted valve arranged in said chamber to be lifted by the water on its way to said ports'and acting to uncover the latter as it lifts. and a rotating measuring-wheel arranged to receive the impact of the water issuing from said ports, the said ports being formedl with varying transverse Widths at their delivery ends, as shown.

7. In a rotary water-meter, the combination, with theports and rotary wheel, of a valve arranged to resist the passage of water to the ports and sustaining the rotary wheel, whereby 'way to sai-d ports and acting to uncover the the valve and wheel rise and fall in proportion to the volume of water passing through, and current-resistingwings attached to the rotating wheel and tu a stationary part opposite thereto, substantially'as described, whereby as the movement of the wheel up or down brings these wings into closer proximity their recipl ocal resistance is increased and the wheel is retarded proportionately in order to correct its y indication.

8. In a water-meter, the combination of cylindrical valvechamber A, having ports I I through its wall, a valve, F, in said chamber whichis lifted by the water in its passage to said ports, a rotary spindle, G, connected to said valve and deriving motion therefrom, a rotary measuring-wheel, H, arranged to receive theimpact of the waterissning from said ports connected to said spindle and imparting rotary motion thereto, a worm on said spindle, aworm-whcel in mesh therewith, and a counting or indicating mechanism arranged'to be driven by said wormwheel, substantially as set forth.

9. 1n a rotary water-meter, a glass registercover having dialmar'ks, in combination with a pointer revolving beneath and in Contact with the glass, substantially as set forth.

10. In a water-meter, the combination of a basepiece,D, embodying the water-inlet `chamber andformed with cleansiiig-openings, a cylindrical valveechamber, A, opening from said inlet chamber, a strainer, E, between said chambers, and a valve, F, in the chamber A, with its spindle G having abearing in said strainer, substantially as set forth.`

11. The combination, with the inletchaim ber, thevalVe-ch amber, the ports leading therefrom,'the weighted valve adapted to move over said ports, and the rotatin g wh eel, of the strainer E, interposed between the inlet-chamber and the valve-chamber, substantially asset forth.

l2. In a water-meter, the combination, with the base or shell containing the measuring mechanism, of a cup-shaped glass cap-piece, R', clamped thereto with a packed joint and forming a chamber exterior to said shell for inclosing the counting mechanism, substantiall y as set forth.

13. In a rotary water-meter, a base-piece, D, embodying the inlet and outlet nozzles, a middlc piece, W, embodying a wheelchamber, and a cap-piece, the whole held together by pivoted swinging bolts Y, arranged substantially as described.

In witness whereof l have hereunto signed my naine in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT CREUZBAUR. Witnesses:

ARTHUR C. FRASER, GEORGE H. FRASER. 

